1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to airbag apparatuses and, more particularly, to an airbag apparatus with a multi-ply airbag cushion which can withstand the force of high pressure gas supplied from an inflator.
2. Description of Related Art
As is well known to those skilled in the art, in an airbag apparatus, when a vehicle collision occurs, gas is instantaneously injected into an airbag cushion depending on a signal generated in response to the impact force. Then, the airbag cushion rapidly inflates with the injected gas to surround a driver or a passenger, thus protecting the driver or the passenger from a windshield of the vehicle or an object coming from the front.
Recently, external airbags which are provided between a vehicle body and a bumper to protect a pedestrian have been proposed. Typically, such an external airbag is constructed such that when a vehicle collision occurs, an airbag that is deployed surrounds the entire bumper. Furthermore, an inflator of a large capacity is installed in the external airbag to enable the airbag cushion to surround the entire area of the bumper.
Here, if a coupling structure used in a typical internal airbag apparatus is applied to the external airbag having the inflator of a large capacity, it may not withstand the high pressure of the gas supplied from the inflator. Moreover, while gas is supplied from the inflator of a large capacity to the airbag cushion, some gas may leak out of the airbag cushion.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.